This is my first post on this forum and I hope Ill be able to contribute to it in the future. I am having trouble figuring out what will give me the quality upgrade for my dollar.
My current configuration:
MCE 2005
AMD 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+
2 gb RAM
1 TB space (2 500 GB maxtor drives)
Hauppauge PVR 150
GIGABYTE GeForce 7600GT 256 mb
I am definitely planning on upgrading the ram to at least 3 gb and replacing one of my hard drives that crashed on me (it was a 500gb one that had all my backed up dvds; any HD suggestions that have an easier time with large files that dont get used very often?)
1. Is it worth all the trouble to upgrade to vista? (Ive read in the forums about many problems with the video encoding and sound issues)
2. I want to make my machine run the quickest, most reliable, & error-free. What safeguards/programs can I use to ensure everything is running smoothly? I currently have O&O Defrag scheduled to run every week for both drives. Windows updates and mce optimization are also scheduled. My free avg anti-virus is scheduled. Before the 500 GB DVD drive crashed I had the two drives separated and partioned: 500 gb for dvds on one drive and the other 500 gb drive partioned into system/programs, music, and recorded tv.
3. The HD question. I partly live in a home with a Directv video source and another time with a cable source. I dont understand the concept of OTA HD and the other type of HD that passes thru your cable line when there is no need for a box. Do I need a separate atenna to attach to my roof in order to get the OTA content? What type of capture card could I upgrade to in order to work in these situations(one with a cable box and the other with a directv box). I would like to view/record 1080i content with MCE at least in the area that has cable box. Should I get rid of the pvr-150?
Thanks for your help in advance.
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